Johnny Manziel has broken his silence after missing his celebrity guest picker appearance on ‘College GameDay’ ahead of Texas A&M vs. Miami in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, Dec. 20.

In a post on his Instagram story on Sunday, Dec. 21, the former Texas A&M football star and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback issued a statement regarding his absence. Manziel was replaced by Alex Caruso.

‘I will have plenty more to say about what transpired yesterday. There is almost nothing on this earth that would have made me miss that game. To all the people that genuinely reached out and checked in on me I cannot thank you enough,’ Manziel wrote on Instagram.

‘To ESPN, Pat (McAfee), Coach (Nick Saban), Desmond (Howard), and the entire crew on GameDay, I apologize it was out of my control. To the Aggies and A&M fan base, I’m sorry. I will continue to let everyone out there run with a fake narrative and at the end of the day, perception always wins over reality. I love all of you who genuinely support me through (the) good and bad like you’ve all done for years. I have no doubt Texas A&M and the Aggie football program will be in that position again. I’m recovering and feeling about a 3/10, going to rest up and try to and get back to normal.’

The network did not provide any context on the switch in the guest picker. As noted by USA TODAY, Manziel was spotted at the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul fight in Miami on Friday, Dec. 19.

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Basketball legend Sue Bird will be part of the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2026, it was announced Sunday.

Bird, whose basketball career spanned more than two decades, helped Team USA earn four FIBA Women’s World Cup titles and five consecutive Olympic gold medals. In the WNBA, she and the Seattle Storm won four championships in 2004, 2010, 2018 and 2020. In 2025, she was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and had her number 10 retired at UConn. She had also been named the first managing director of the Team USA Basketball Women’s National Team.

Six players and one coach will join the class of 2026, who will be enshrined on April 21, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. The list of honorees includes NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki, Céline Dumerc, Hedo Türkoğlu, Clarisse Machanguana, Wang Zhizhi, Ismenia Pauchard and coach Ludwik Miętta-Mikołajewicz.

Previous FIBA Hall of Fame classes

2025: Dawn Staley, Mike Krzyzewski, Alphonse Bilé, Andrew Bogut, Leonor Borrell, Pau Gasol, Fadi El Khatib, Ticha Penicheiro, Ratko Radovanovic
2024: Miao Lijie, Reggie Miller, Danira Nakic-Bilic, Kirk Samula Penney, Romain Sato, Skaidrite Smildzina-Budovska, Pedja Stojakovic, Dan Peterson
2023: Alessandro ‘Sandro’ Gamba, Valérie Garnier, Sony Hendrawan, Carlos ‘Caloy’ Loyzaga, Wlamir Marques, Katrina McClain, Yao Ming, Yuko Oga, Zurab Sakandelidze, Penny Taylor, Amaya Valdemoro, Angelo Victoriano
2022: Geno Auriemma, Antonio Carlos Barbosa, Lisa Leslie, Robyn Maher, Mame Maty Mbengue, Maria Planas, Catarina Pollini, Jurgita Streimikyte-Virbickiene, Milan Ciga Vasojevic
2021: Chuck Daly, Mathiei Faye, Panagiotis Giannakis, Zheng Haixia, Hana Horáková, Stanislav Kropilák, Tom Maher, Ettore Messina, Oscar Moglia, Detlef Schrempf, Penka Stoyanova, Sergey Tarakanov
2020: Isabelle Fijalkowski, Mieczysław Łopatka, Ruben Magnano, Steve Nash, Ágnes Németh, Shin-Ja Park, Modestas Paulauskas, Svetislav Pesic, Kenichi Sako, Tara Vanderveer, Alexander Volkov, Jure Zdovc

Cooley had just watched his team miss 18 free throws in an 80-77 loss to Xavier and then miss a 3-point shot attempt at the buzzer that would have tied the game at the end of regulation.

Cooley opened his postgame press conference with an apology to the family.

‘Definitely out of character for me to be so frustrated but, really, that’s not called for and I’ll call them and make amends to them,’ he told reporters. ‘So I apologize to the fans, I apologize to our players. Totally, totally out of character for me to be that way.’

The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network, identified the family to whom Cooley apologized as that of Georgetown center Vince Iwuchukwu, who is out after needing an undisclosed medical procedure last month.

Cooley, 56, is in his third season as Georgetown’s coach after taking over for Patrick Ewing. While Georgetown (8-4) has improved, going 18-16 last season after a 9-23 mark his first year, Cooley recently expressed frustration with the team’s attendance.

Georgetown has played before sparse crowds at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, which hosts the NBA’s Wizards and NHL’s Capitals. Last night’s was just over 5,000.

After a game played at McDonough Arena, the school’s smaller on-campus gym, Dec. 13, Cooley said he had scheduled the game there so it was more convenient for fans during final exams.

‘I wish we had more students take a study break to come,’ Cooley said, according The Hoya, a student newspaper. ‘It’s a little disappointing not to have those young men and women show up.’

Earlier in Saturday’s game, Cooley turned to the crowd behind him to try and encourage them to cheer when his team played defense in a close game.

Georgetown next plays Monday, Dec. 22, against Coppin State at McDonough, its second and final game scheduled on campus this season.

Shedeur Sanders vs. the Buffalo Bills defense is the next fight that people are locked in to watching this weekend.

The rookie quarterback’s watch celebration is typically a major topic of discussion, but now all eyes are watching what happens with the quarterback in Week 16. Sanders exited against the Bills in the second quarter, holding a towel up to his face before a third-and-goal play.

It turns out that Sanders suffered a bloodied, ugly finger injury that briefly sent him to the locker room.

It wasn’t immediately clear what happened with the quarterback, who was met by some sideline personnel before heading to the locker room.

Here’s the latest on Sanders

Shedeur Sanders injury update

Sanders headed to the locker room with a bloodied pinky finger. He later returned .

It appeared that his nail was hanging off and the quarterback required some additional attention. Fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel checked into the contest for Sanders, which was met by boos from the Cleveland fans – who seemingly thought Sanders’ exit was a coaching decision.

Gabriel was promptly sacked on the next play and the Browns settled for a field goal.

This story will be updated.

Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami has come to terms on a move to the major leagues, less than two days before a deadline that would have returned him to Japan.

Murakami, 25, has agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, persons with knowledge of the deal have confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. The persons spoke on the condition of anonymity since the deal has not been officially announced. The deal was first reported by ESPN.

Murakami will provide the White Sox with some much-needed power after posting an OPS over 1.000 in three of his last six seasons in the Japan Central League.

Murakami faced a deadline of 5 p.m. ET on Monday Dec. 22, to decide on a team, based on the 45-day posting window veteran players from Japan enter when they transfer from NPB to the majors. 

Here’s what to know about the White Sox’s latest acquisition.

Munetaka Murakami contract details

Munetaka Murakami 2025 stats

Murakami played in 69 games last year across both the Japan Central and Eastern Leagues. Across 263 plate appearances, Murakami smacked 24 home runs with a .286/.392/.659 triple-slash, good for a 1.051 OPS.

The left-handed slugger hit 56 home runs in 2022, breaking the record for a Japan-born player set in 1964 by Sadaharu Oh. 

Murakami started his playing career at just 18 years old. In his eight years in pro ball, he’s recorded a .945 OPS. For perspective, Shohei Ohtani managed an .859 OPS across five seasons in Japan before joining the Los Angeles Angels.

The Minnesota Vikings are having a trip to forget.

Not only was it a work trip for the visiting Vikings, but now some of their players are wounded as well. Minnesota’s plane experienced issues that delayed their departure for New Jersey on Dec. 20, forcing the team to arrive late ahead of their Week 16 matchup with the New York Giants.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, two of the team’s running backs suffered injuries before the end of the first quarter.

Jordan Mason was carted off the field with an ankle injury, while Aaron Jones suffered an ankle injury of his own during the early moments.

Here’s the latest on Mason.

Jordan Mason injury update

Mason has been ruled out.

The running back was carted to the locker room in the first quarter and was initially listed as questionable to return.

Mason caught a pass from J.J. McCarthy for six yards with 11:35 to go. He took a hit after making the catch and remained down after the play.

He was later seen on a cart with a towel over his head, leaving Zavier Scott as the lone running back without any ailments early in this game.

This story will be updated.

The family of Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Dominique Dawes is grieving the death of her father-in-law after the body of a man missing for five days was found Saturday, Dec. 20 in southwestern Virginia.

Authorities said a car belonging to 79-year-old Leonard Hugh Thompson of Herndon, Virginia, was found on Interstate 81 near Roanoke on Tuesday with a flat tire and missing keys. Dawes issued a plea for help finding him on social media Saturday afternoon, saying the family believed ‘he has had a health episode and is disoriented and confused.’

Dawes and her husband, Jeff Thompson, have four children. She posted a photo late Saturday night on her official Instragram account with the caption ‘Rest in Peace, Papa T.’

‘We take comfort in knowing that he is now with our Lord and Savior. Thank you all for the prayers and support during this very difficult time,’ she wrote.

A native of Silver Spring, Maryland, Dawes became the first Black woman to win Olympic gold in gymnastics when the United States won the team title at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She also won an individual bronze medal in the floor exercises that year.

She also won bronze medals as a member of Team USA at the 1992 Games in Barcelona and 2000 Games in Sydney.

Normally there’s no love lost between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, but that wasn’t the case for the visitors in Week 16.

The Packers lost Jordan Love in the second quarter, when the quarterback exited the pivotal contest with a concussion.

With first place in the NFC North on the line, Green Bay had to turn to Malik Willis in relief of Love. Chicago prevailed in overtime, 22-16, and Green Bay has to hold its breath down the stretch.

There are just two games left in the regular season and no timetable for Love’s return to action. It could be a big blow to a team that came into the year with Super Bowl aspirations, especially after losing Micah Parsons for the season with a torn ACL in Week 15.

Here’s what to know about the Packers quarterback.

What happened to Jordan Love?

Love suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the Packers’ Week 16 contest against the Bears.

The hit prompted a 15-yard penalty on Chicago for roughing the passer, but the trade-off was Green Bay losing their starting quarterback for the game.

Love remained on the ground after the play with his eyes closed and his helmet dislodged.

Trainers quickly tended to Love, who ran off the field under his own power and into the blue medical tent. A short time later, the quarterback was taken to the locker room.

Jordan Love injury updates

Love was ruled out of Week 16 with a concussion.

He was initially listed as questionable to return, but failed to gain clearance for a return to play. Love completed 8 of 13 passes for 77 yards before leaving the game.

The Packers had a 3-0 lead over the Bears when he exited.

How long is Jordan Love out?

Love doesn’t have a timetable for a return to play.

The quarterback is at the mercy of the league’s concussion protocol and will have to clear all five steps before getting back into game action.

Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t have an update after the contest, leaving Love’s status uncertain moving forward. Despite playing on Saturday, they won’t have the added benefit of extra rest heading into Week 17, when they’ll play another Saturday game.

It’s not easy to clear the protocol and return to play in the same week. Without a timetable, there’s a risk that Love’s absence could potentially extend into the postseason.

Green Bay is clinging to the final playoff spot in the NFC, but remain in a good spot with two games to go.

What is concussion protocol in the NFL?

The NFL’s concussion protocol is designed to ensure a player’s safety after suffering a head injury. It’s a five-step process that a player has to clear before they can return to play. Those steps are, as defined by the NFL:

Symptom limited activity
Aerobic exercise
Football specific exercise
Club-based non-contact training drills
Full football activity/clearance

Before a player enters the protocol, they are evaluated on the sideline. The tests are conducted by the team’s physician and unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant. The evaluation includes observing any ‘no-go’ symptoms, which are things like loss of consciousness, confusion, amnesia and more, in addition to history of concussions, other signs/symptoms and video review.

At that point, a neurological exam is conducted and the player is escorted to the locker room if the sideline evaluation leaves any doubt.

The NFL playoff picture looks due for a good deal of action in Week 16, with the three games played so far this week already proving plenty meaningful for the postseason outlook.

On Thursday, the Seattle Seahawks clinched a berth and reshaped the NFC pecking order with a thrilling overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams, who had been positioned for the No. 1 seed in the conference but fell all the way back to the first wild-card spot with the loss. Then, on Saturday, the Eagles became the first back-to-back winners of the NFC East in 21 years with their triumph over the Washington Commanders. The Chicago Bears capped off the day’s doubleheader by racing back late and beating the Green Bay Packers, putting them in prime position for their first NFC North title since 2018.

Yet there’s still plenty left to be resolved, and Sunday could add another layer of clarity, with six teams having the opportunity to wrap up a berth.

Here’s what’s at stake on Sunday:

NFL Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Denver Broncos Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Broncos win + Chargers loss or tie + Patriots loss + Bills loss or tie

Broncos clinch AFC West with:

Broncos win + Chargers loss or tie
Broncos tie + Chargers loss

Buffalo Bills Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Bills clinch playoff berth with:

Bills win + Colts loss or tie
Bills win + Texans loss or tie
Bills tie + Colts loss
Bills tie + Texans loss

New England Patriots Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Patriots clinch playoff berth with:

Patriots win or tie
Colts loss or tie
Texans loss or tie

Jacksonville Jaguars Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Jaguars win + Colts loss or tie
Jaguars win + Texans loss or tie
Jaguars tie + Colts loss
Jaguars tie + Texans loss

Los Angeles Chargers Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Chargers clinch playoff berth with:

Chargers win + Colts loss or tie
Chargers win + Texans loss or tie
Chargers tie + Colts loss
Chargers tie + Texans loss

Chicago Bears Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

Bears clinch playoff berth with:

Bears win + Lions loss or tie

San Francisco 49ers Week 16 playoff clinching scenarios

49ers clinch playoff berth with:

49ers win
Lions loss
49ers tie + Lions tie